Parents: Take Your Life Back

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The term parenting is most readily defined as the act of taking care of and raising children. But parenting is also the act or process of becoming a parent, which we believe is as much about taking care of you as it is about taking care of your children.

“I don’t have time.”
Hands down, time is one of the biggest scarcities for modern parents. But everyone can carve out 10-20 minutes a day for self-care time. Yes, it may require reallocating and prioritizing (I, for one, recommend foregoing perfectly-folded laundry), asking for help or getting creative with how you build the time into your day.

For example, one way I fit self-care into my schedule is by building it into child care transit time. I push my 2-year-old, Violet, in the jogger to day care and then run home (or run a longer loop ending at home). It’s a win for everyone; Violet gets to hunt for dogs, buses and trucks en route, and I get my self-care.

We all deserve at least ten minutes a day to focus on ourselves; schedule it in the calendar as a non-negotiable meeting!

“I don’t have money for self-care.”
Self-care doesn’t have to mean expensive spa treatments. We define it as whatever feels relaxing and rejuvenating to YOU. Curling up with a book or magazine, going for a walk, writing in a journal, sitting with a cup of tea and doing absolutely nothing? All are forms of self-care and all are deliciously within your reach.

Another crucial aspect of self-care is looking after your health. While getting a mammogram isn’t exactly the relaxing “massage” we look forward to, it’s one example of the importance of caring for yourself.

“It seems selfish to take time for myself.”
Repeat after me: Self-care is not selfish. When you treat yourself well, goodness trickles down into your relationships with your partner, your kids, your friends and your community. It’s like a big circle of awesomeness. Your ability to take care of others is directly proportional to your own vitality and happiness.

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